Hilton Head’s Harbour Town Golf Links prepares for a refresh; closing for 7 months in ‘25
Abutting the Atlantic Ocean and hidden under a canopy of oaks, pines and palmettos, Hilton Head’s beautiful Harbour Town Golf Links boasts some of the best holes in pro golf. But at 55 years old, it needs some attention.
Sea Pines Golf Resort announced Wednesday an extensive restoration of the famous course that’s home to the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage tournament. But the course’s “shot values,” officials said, won’t change.
Harbour Town, known for its narrow tree-lined fairways and small greens that reward accuracy more than power, was originally designed by renowned architect Pete Dye and assisted by golf great Jack Nicklaus. It has been the home of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing since it opened in 1969.
Professional players and amateurs speak glowingly about the course and the value it places on traditional shot making and creativity in a golfing world where towering 300-yard plus drives have too often taken over the conversation.
While the restoration will consider Dye’s design, all greens, bunkers and bulkheads will be rebuilt and improvements will be made in agronomy and maintenance, Sea Pines Resort said.
The different turfs currently in use — TifEagle on the greens and Celebration Bermuda on the fairways, tees and rough — will remain the same. Work has already begun by replacing railroad ties on some of the bulkheads.
Five-time RBC Heritage champion Davis Love III and his company Love Golf Design will serve as consultants to the restoration, Sea Pines said. Love also designed Atlantic Dunes at The Sea Pines Resort.
“Given my success on the course over the years, it is a layout I know and love,” said Love.
Sea Pines announced the restoration the day before tickets went on sale for the 2025 RBC Heritage, which is April 14-20.
The 2024 tartan jacket winner was Scottie Scheffler and that victory was part of his historic eight win season that included bringing home a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August, the 2024 Masters Tournament, The Players Championship and becoming the season ending FedEx Cup champion. He is expected to return to Harbour Town to defend his title in April.
Tickets are anticipated to sell quickly again in 2025 because the RBC Heritage will again be a PGA Tour “signature event,” offering an increased purse and added FedEx Cup Points.
Following the completion of the 2025 RBC Heritage, Harbour Town will close for restoration work for seven months, beginning on May 5 and reopening in November.
The golf course is currently ranked No. 27 among Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Courses in the U.S. and No. 5 in South Carolina. The course’s 18th hole is one of golf’s most recognizable finishes with the Harbour Town Lighthouse serving as a backdrop behind the green. And the 14th is known as one of the toughest par 3s on the PGA Tour.
The restoration will ensure championship-level conditions while preserving its renowned “classic shot values and design,” said John Farrell, director of Sports Operations at Sea Pines.
“Everyone at The Sea Pines Resort is committed to honoring the legacy of Pete Dye’s design,” Farrell said in a news release. “We will protect the shot values, both long and short, that have come to define Harbour Town Golf Links for nearly six decades.”
Golf Digest has defined “shot values” like this: “How well do the holes pose a variety of risks and rewards and equally test length, accuracy and finesse?”
This story was originally published October 3, 2024 at 11:28 AM.
